Chapter 8 Section 8 Samantabhadra Bodhisattva Dojo Temples on Mount Emei

Mount Emei is located 7 kilometers southwest of the urban area of ​​Emei City, Sichuan Province, and sits on the southwest edge of the Sichuan Basin. It is one of the four famous Buddhist mountains in China.It has this name because of its meandering mountain "like a moth's eyebrows [Qin Qin], thin and long, beautiful and colorful".In Buddhism, Emei is also called "Da Guangming Mountain". "Avatamsaka Sutra: Entering the Dharma Realm" says: The boy of good fortune visited the Shifang world to seek the good way. After visiting 52 great good teachers, that is, sages and famous teachers, he finally stood on the wonderful peak and watched Emei shine brightly.Puxian Bodhisattva was living in the mountain with 3000 Dharma relatives at this time, so he paid homage to Puxian Bodhisattva again and became the famous "fifty-three ginseng" in Buddhism, and Emei was called "Da Guangming Mountain" for this reason.Mount Emei is divided into Da'e, Er'e and San'e.The main peak, Wanfoding, is 3099 meters above sea level and has a radius of two kilometers.From Baoguo Temple, the first ancient temple at the foot of the mountain, to Jinding, the total length is 60 kilometers. Temples and scenic spots such as Luohanpo and Jieyin Hall.A stone path hovers all the way up to the sky.Here, the mountains are undulating, the rocks are emerald, the clouds and waterfalls, and the streams are gurgling, forming a clear, secluded, beautiful and elegant natural picture scroll, known as "the beauty of Emei all over the world".Li Bai, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote a poem praising: "There are many fairy mountains in Shu, and Emei is too tall to match."

Taoism was popular in Mount Emei at first, and Buddhist temples began to appear in the Jin Dynasty.During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the influence of Buddhism in Mount Emei increased, and Taoism gradually crowded out. A large number of Buddhist temples were built on the mountain, forming the prototype of a famous Buddhist mountain.After the Tang and Song Dynasties, Buddhism flourished day by day, and the scale and number of temples on Mount Emei gradually expanded, and Samantabhadra was promoted as the owner of the mountain.People in the Song Dynasty said that in the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was an old man who collected medicine, Pu Weng, who was digging up a Polygonatum japonica on the mountain one day, when he suddenly heard the melodious and flickering fairy sounds in the air, coming from the east.Pu Weng looked up, but saw groups of cloud banners leading, followed by treasures, and countless golden boys and jade girls surrounded a god.Sitting on a lotus pedestal on the back of a six-tusked white elephant, the god holds a ruyi in his hand, hangs a necklace on his body, and wears a golden crown of five Buddhas on his head. He walks slowly towards the west.After Pu Weng was instructed by a famous teacher, he learned that what he saw was Samantabhadra Bodhisattva.In the sixth year of Emperor Qiande of the Song Dynasty (968 A.D.), Jiazhou (in the east of today's Emei City) repeatedly played the appearance of Samantabhadra, so Taizu sent his servant Zhang Chongjin to Jiazhou to make a statue of Samantabhadra.In the fifth year of Taiping Xingguo (AD 980), Taizong built a huge bronze statue of Samantabhadra, and renamed Baishui Temple in Tang Dynasty to Baishui Puxian Temple.During the Song, Yuan and Ming Dynasties, the development of Buddhism in Mount Emei reached its peak. There were nearly a hundred Buddhist temples and monasteries, and it became a huge group of Buddhist temples and the famous Samantabhadra Dojo.After the Qing Dynasty, due to the humid and rainy mountains, many temples were destroyed.By the period of the Republic of China, less than half of the old temples survived.The scene is desolate. It can be said that "there are few monks in Xiao Temple, no Sanskrit music is heard, the clouds are closed all day long, and the wind and rain pierce the sky." After 1949, the government established the "Emeishan Cultural Relics Renovation Committee", which successively allocated funds for large-scale repairs and reconstructions, bringing Emeishan back to its youth.There are 26 main Buddhist temples in Mount Emei, including Wannian Temple, Fuhu Temple, Baoguo Temple, Hong Chunping Temple, Xianfeng Temple, Xixiang Pool, and Jinding Huazang Temple.

Wannian Temple is located in the Zhongshan District of Mount Emei, at an altitude of 1020 meters. It faces Bomeng Peak in the front, Zhenglong Mountain in the back, Jingshui River on the left, and Bailong River on the right.Wannian Temple is the oldest temple on Mount Emei and the most important temple on Mount Emei.It was founded in the Eastern Jin Dynasty and was originally named Puxian Temple.In the Tang Dynasty, Zen master Huitong practiced intensively here and changed its name to Baishui Temple.After the expansion of Zen Master Maozhen in the fifth year of Taiping Xingguo in Song Dynasty, it was renamed Baishui Puxian Temple.During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (1573-1619 A.D.), the Shengshou Wannian Temple was changed to Shengshou Wannian Temple, referred to as Wannian Temple.There are now Shanmen, Maitreya Hall, Pilu Hall, Prajna Hall, Brick Hall, Weiwei Hall, Daxiong Hall, Xingyuan Tower, Zhaitang, Dharma Logistics Department, Drum Tower Corridor, Nether Bell Tower and other buildings.Among them, the Brick Hall was built in the 28th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1600). It is a beamless hall with a square brick dome.The beamless hall is square in plan, surrounded by thick brick walls with a side length of 15.7 meters, forming a tall pedestal.Five towers are built on the top of the seat, the center is slightly larger and the surroundings are smaller.The middle tower is higher than the corner tower, with a total height of 16 meters. From the appearance, it is a king kong throne tower.On the dome of the Wuliang Hall, there are four fairies holding pipa, konghou, lusheng and flute.This is a building with both South Asian architectural style and Mongolian Lama Temple features.The purpose of its construction is to protect the bronze statue of Samantabhadra riding a white elephant with six tusks cast during the Taiping Xingguo period.The bronze statue is 7.85 meters high, divided into five parts: five Buddha crowns, Dharma body, rosette, elephant and lotus, and weighs about 62 tons.Among them, the white elephant is 3.3 meters high and 4.65 meters long.The cast of the whole bronze statue is quite fine.The casting material is brass from the lotus platform, and the part of the white elephant is bronze.Each part is cast in blocks, and each block is cast with snap buttons, rivets are added, and then welded with copper juice.Some parts are cast in segments.The belly of the elephant, the lotus platform, and the statue of Samantabhadra are all hollow, with Buddhist scriptures inside.In order to support the trunk, a copper well-shaped bracket is installed inside.The proportions of each part of the bronze statue are well-proportioned and harmonious. The Buddha statue has a plump body, smooth clothing lines, elegantly carved corolla, and a solemn and solemn expression;All this shows the superb skills of Chinese casting technology and metal statues at that time.

It is said that Li Bai, a great poet of the Tang Dynasty, had a close relationship with Guang Jun, a monk with the same name. Descend to Emei Peak. Wave your hand for me, as if listening to the pines in the ten thousand valleys. The guest’s heart is washed by the flowing water, and the ringing rings into the frost bell. I don’t feel that the blue mountains are twilight, and the autumn clouds are darker.” This masterpiece undoubtedly adds a strong poetic flavor to Mount Emei. .In Mingyue Pond not far from Baishui Pond, there is a rare "qin frog" inhabiting. Whenever it rains or at dusk, they repeatedly play the beautiful melody of "5111" to tourists. They are called "Xiangu playing the piano".Every late autumn, the forests near Wannian Temple are all dyed, and the yellow leaves are flying like colorful butterflies. It is quite poetic and picturesque. People call it "White Water and Autumn Wind", which is one of the "Ten Scenic Spots of Mount Emei".

Fuhu Temple was first built in Tang Dynasty, and it was named Shenlong Hall in Song Dynasty.Legend has it that there are often tigers here, and the temple monk built Zunsheng Building to suppress it, so it was renamed "Fuhu Temple".The hall of Fuhu Temple is spacious and majestic, and it is one of the great temples in Mount Emei.The temple has been built and abolished several times in history, and the existing building was rebuilt in the early Qing Dynasty. After 1949, the East Chamber New Hall was rebuilt here to provide food and lodging for tourists.Fuhu Temple is surrounded by towering nanmu trees, with thick shade blocking out the sun.Although the temple is covered by green shade, the roof does not accumulate leaves all year round, so it won the plaque of "Ligou Garden" inscribed by Emperor Kangxi.

Baoguo Temple was first built in the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. It is located at the foot of Mount Emei. It is the first temple to enter Mount Emei.Baoguo Temple was originally named Huizong Hall, which took the meaning of the three religions of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.After it was rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi inscribed "Baoguo Temple", which is still in use today.The main halls are located on the mountain, and from front to back are Maitreya Hall, Daxiong Hall, Seven Buddha Hall and Sutra Library.Behind the Hall of Seven Buddhas, there is a large glazed porcelain Buddha fired in Jingdezhen in the 13th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1415).The porcelain Buddha is 2.47 meters high, sitting on the Qianye lotus platform, adorned with thousand Buddha lotus clothes, with crystal colors and well-proportioned proportions, which is rare in China.In the Hall of Seven Buddhas, the 14-story copper Huayan Pagoda cast in the Ming Dynasty is also a precious cultural relic.It is seven meters high, with more than 4,700 Buddha statues and the full text of the "Avatamsaka Sutra" cast all over its body. The treasure of the town temple.Baoguo Temple is now the seat of Sichuan Buddhist Association.

Hongchunping is a place name and a temple name.Known as Qianfo Temple in ancient times, it was founded by Zen master Xingyi of Chushan in Ming Dynasty.During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Zen masters Eyun and Yuanyuan rebuilt it, and because there was a 1,500-year-old Hongchun tree in front of the temple, it was changed to its current name.The temple is located at an altitude of 1100 meters, surrounded by mountains and forests, with fresh air and a quiet environment. Because of the high humidity, it often gives people the feeling of drizzle.Hongchunping buildings are relatively well preserved, and the existing temples are tall and tidy.There are many couplets on the doorposts here, which are very philosophical, such as "the world is hidden in a grain of rice, and the universe is boiled in half a pot"; , quite Maitreya demeanor, thought-provoking.On the upper floor of the Maitreya Hall in the temple, there is a seven-pillar thousand-Buddha lotus lamp carved in the late Qing Dynasty, about two meters high and one meter in diameter. Hundreds of Buddha statues and seven-striped dragons are carved on it, with fine carvings and superb craftsmanship.Hongchunping is located in the deep mountains and old forests, it is an ideal summer resort.

Xianfeng Temple was called Ciyan Temple in ancient times, also known as Xianfeng Temple.It was established in the 40th year of Wanli in Ming Dynasty (AD 1612).The Maitreya Hall of Xianfeng Temple was originally the Taoist God of Wealth Hall, enshrining the statue of Zhao Gongming, the God of Wealth.After Buddhism became popular, it turned into a Buddhist temple.There are four layers of halls in the temple, covered with tin tiles and aluminum skins. Whenever the sun is shining and the mountains are clear, when you look at Xianfeng Temple from Jiulinggang, you can see a dazzling silver light flashing in the blue peaks of Xiufeng, which is dazzling.The area around the Xianfeng Temple is a frequent haunt of monkeys, and it is very interesting to beg for food with tourists.

In addition, on the golden summit of Mount Emei at an altitude of 3,077 meters, there used to be a Puguang Hall, which is also very famous.Puguang Hall was built in the Eastern Han Dynasty and was originally a Taoist building.Because of the frequent thunder and fire here, although the Puguang Hall has been repaired for generations, it is still built and abandoned repeatedly.The main hall, Yongming Huazang Temple, was rebuilt in the 12th year of Guangxu in Qing Dynasty (1886 A.D.).At the highest point behind the hall, there was originally a bronze Buddha hall called the Golden Hall.Inside the hall is a bronze stele cast in the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty (1465-1487 A.D.). The Monument of the Golden Temple of Puxian" is composed of Chu Suiliang's calligraphic characters collected by Ming Dynasty.Unfortunately, both Tongdian and Huazang Temple were destroyed by fire. In 1986, the Sichuan provincial government allocated funds to restore the Jinding Temple, which was named Huazang Temple in the Ming Dynasty.This is the only one in the east-west orientation among the temples in the whole mountain.On the Golden Summit, you can see the three wonders of Mount Emei, namely: the sea of ​​clouds, the sunrise, and the light of Buddha.In particular, the Buddha's light is a rare natural wonder among Chinese scenic spots.In the sunny afternoon, when visitors stand in front of Sacrifice Rock, they can often overlook a colorful halo emerging from the clouds, and they are reflected in the halo, moving and moving with each other, which is extremely miraculous.

In addition to the above temples, the Bailong Temple (Bailong Cave), Xixiangchi, Leiyin Temple, Qingyin Pavilion and other temples in Mount Emei are also well-known.